The present invention is directed to a light for night fishing. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a fiber optic light that can be attached to a fishing pole and to a bulb which can be used with fiber optic lighting.
Night fishing is fraught with problems. Not being able to see to bait one""s hook, or to avoid limbs or other obstructions can be terribly frustrating. Hence, the fisherman often brings a light of some sort. However, since the angler needs full use of his hands, the use of a lantern, flashlight or other handheld light can be problematic. Further, even if the light source can be suspended from a stand, bar, pole, or the like, on the dock or in the boat, the light source and its support can both inhibit the angler""s freedom to cast by restricting her/his free space.
The present invention overcomes these difficulties by providing a fiber optic light assembly including a power source which is attachable to/detachable from a lower portion of the fishing rod, a fiber optic cable having first and second ends, the first end attached to the power source, the second end attached to an upper end of the fishing pole. Clips are used to attach the fiber optic cable to the fishing rod at a plurality of points along its length. A bulb is secured to the second end of the fiber optic cable to disperse light conducted by the fiber optic cable. The bulb is a configured mass of plastic selected from the group of polypropylene, polycarbonate, and acetyl resins. A less dense mass of material, preferably a bubble is encapsulated within the plastic and provides a first reflective surface. The bubble itself may comprise air, phosphorescent material, or argon. The external surface of the light bulb provides a second reflective surface, the light conveyed by the fiber optic cable bouncing between the first and second reflective surfaces to illumine the light bulb. A sheath can be used to focus the light down the length of the fiber optic cable toward its second end. The sheath of electrical shrink tubing surrounds the fiber optic cable adjacent the first end which is attached to the power source in order to prevent random disbursement over the first few inches of the fiber optic cable.
Not only will the light at the tip of the rod help the fisherman see to bait her/his hook, it enables the fisherman to easily detect a nibble or strike since movement of the rod tip will become much more readily visible.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.